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Eat Invasive Species

Eating invasive species news and notes from around the internet! The Atlantic suggests invasive pelts as an ethical case for fur List of 7 restaurants where invasivores can dine If you don’t want to eat or wear invasive species, you can still promote natives in your garden this spring Minnesota DNR offers suggestions on how …

The Barnes Lab in the Department of Natural Resources Management at Texas Tech University seeks students interested in conducting fully-funded, master’s-level research on the application of genetic detection tools to the management of aquatic invasive species. Specifically, students will have the opportunity to develop and apply environmental DNA tools to monitor aquatic invasive species, such …

Eating invasive species news and notes from around the internet! Invasivore editor Matt Barnes appeared on BYU Radio’s Top of Mind to discuss eating invasive species Some recommended reading from TNC’s Matthew Miller: Bats becoming invasivores! Targeting pythons for removal in Florida Pythons headline this “Dirty Dozen” list of US invasive animals Hawaii has their …

Eating invasive species news and notes from around the internet! February 22-28 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week! How you will be celebrating? Lionfish invade a new menu in Port Canaveral, Florida Also in Florida, biologists want to map invasive catches Researchers in Missouri would like to see Asian Carp on their menus share: Blog …

Eating invasive species news and notes from around the internet! Gearing up for National Invasive Species Awareness Week Feb 22-28 This week saw it’s own ecological celebration: Darwin Day Invasivore.org in the news en español ICYMI: Invasivore.org in the news in Discover Magazine and The Guardian Environment Blog Chefs face off in New Orleans Lionfish …

We are always thankful for the support of our readers, as well as the efforts of all chefs, natural resource managers, researchers, environmental stewards, and citizen scientists contributing to invasive species prevention and management. As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, why not help spread knowledge about biological invasions by bringing up the fact that some turkey populations are considered invasive? And if you’re still looking for a last minute turkey recipe, we’ve got you covered.

Ahoy maties! Today be National Talk Like a Pirate Day, and me thinks thar bein’ no better way to be celebratin’ than feastin’ on some invasive booty! Try slippin’ these briney rations down your gullet, or walk the plank!

The blind eating the blind, lack of guidance for harvests

Eating invasive species has received a lot of attention from the media over the last few years probably as a combination of 1) being kind of weird and 2) feeling like a good idea. It’s that second reason that has kept many natural resource managers and conservationists on the sidelines of the conversation. What has felt like a good idea for resource management in the past has often turned into something really bad. For example: kudzu, cane toads, and Nile perch are cases of well-intentioned introductions gone awry. That is, managers and conservationist may be a bit trigger-shy around tactics that just *sound* good. Indeed, the limited offerings in the scientific literature pertaining to harvesting invasive species urge caution due to the potential unintentional consequences of developing market or social values for invasive species (Nunez et al 2012). The biological and economic limitations of harvests, such as for Asian carp (Tsehaye et al 2013), make it clear that harvests aren’t a silver-bullet solution. However, there is recognition that harvests could play a part in larger control and conservation measures. Guidance for when and how to incorporate harvests into invasive management schemes has been missing; a new article by Pasko and Goldberg lays out the possible place for harvests of invasive species within a holistic, adaptive management framework.

11 Recommendations for harvesting invasive species

Pasko and Goldberg review the many issues that surround the potential benefits and risks of harvesting invasive species, and they conclude with the following recommendations to help maximize the success of harvest incentive programs:

1. Define the management plan and objectives

Defining a plan and objectives is a lot like getting all your ingredients in order before you start cooking, like this Almond tilapia.

The conservation goals of harvesting invasive species are obscure in many contexts, yet defining success is the first step. There’s no universal goal for all invasivores, and total eradication is far too lofty. Setting realistic goals will be an important part of integrating harvests into management.

2. Understand the costs

Harvesting invasive species may seem like a win-win, and under ideal circumstances perhaps sales and recovery of ecosystem services could increase total social value. But it won’t be free. Any control program will have administrative costs that may be difficult to recoup.

3. Understand target species’ population dynamics

Models of population dynamics can be simple, like this logistic model, but detailed models tailored to specific species and populations will be more successful.

The population dynamics of an invasive population determine how- or if- the population will respond to harvesting effort. In some cases, harvests could actually increase population growth. Understanding population dynamics may prevent such unintended consequences and help determine how much populations should be reduced to achieve management goals.

4. Consider risks to human health and safety

Phragmites may sequester metals and other toxins, which could pose health risks if consumed regularly and/or in large quantity.

5. Evaluate potential ecological outcomes

NOAA & Great Lakes Fishery Commission food web exemplifies the complex interactions linking many components of ecosystems that may change given alterations in invasive populations.

Invasive species, despite being undesirable by definition, often play substantial roles in the ecosystems which they have invaded. Understanding the “dominoes” to fall following removal is important. For example, while alewife are an invasive species in Lake Michigan, they are vital forage for salmon, which are highly desirable.

6. Monitor for unintended outcomes

One way to monitor for unintended consequences.

The complex ecological interactions of ecosystems makes unforeseen undesirable responses to harvest likely. For example, when cats where eradicated from Macquarie Island, the population of rabbits grew rapidly and with devastating results to the local ecosystem (Bergstrom et al 2009, Journal of Applied Ecology).

7. Prevent re-introduction

Andy standing guard to prevent further species introductions.

Harvesting programs will be ineffective if new target individuals (perhaps new species) are able to regain access to the ecosystem. Prevention, monitoring, and rapid response to new introductions will be required to prevent re-establishment.

8. Incorporate adaptive management

If a management plan is a recipe, adaptive management is tasting and flavoring a dish as you cook.

Adaptive management follows the principal that effective management requires periodic assessment of the invasive population and the recovery of ecosystem service in order to update management methods as new information becomes available.

9. Conduct outreach

Public understanding and support of invasive species management will make a project easier to manage. Besides, someone’s got to eat all this garlic mustard queso.

10. Restore impacted areas

Okay, once all this phragmites is gone, what’s going to grow here instead?

Pulling up a forest of garlic mustard is going to leave behind a mess. More importantly, just removing an invasive population doesn’t mean that native species and ecosystem services will return on their own. Management should include a clear idea about what services are desired from a target area, and how best to achieve them.

11. Determine appropriate points for government intervention

More than just funding projects, governments can provide outreach and education, as well as possible regulatory oversight. For example, adapting appropriate hunting regulations or monitoring food safety.